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Colorado Z71 Crew - Suspension & Tire Suggestions


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#1 WildWanderland

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Posted 20 June 2018 - 05:05 AM

Hi! 

 

I have a '16 Colorado diesel Z71.

 

I'm not seeing E rated tires in the stock size (255 65R17). I don't know much about tires to know which numbers I could fudge a bit.

 

Also can't decide if I need to do more than add ride rite's to it to carry the load of the Fleet. 

 

Anyone out there with this rig and what did you do for suspension and tire upgrades? 

 

Eagerly waiting on my 4WC order.... 

 

Thanks!
 


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#2 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 20 June 2018 - 12:55 PM

I have Toyo E rated tires on my Ranger. They are a tiny bit larger than stock so not much change in stance. I would probably go with Coopers if doing that again. Yes on airbags RideRites or Airlift. We may buy a Colorado later this summer, and those mods would be the only ones I would do.
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#3 smlobx

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Posted 20 June 2018 - 01:11 PM

Nothing to add about the tires except to agree with WS. On our recent overland trip to Botswana the Land Cruisers were equipped with Cooper tires and they were fantastic.


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#4 moveinon

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Posted 20 June 2018 - 10:00 PM

I have BFG KO2 E rated tires size 255 70R 17 on my Tacoma with fleet.  They are only slightly taller than the stock 65R tires so make about 2 MPH difference at 70 MPH on your speedometer.  The taller tire will make a slightly softer ride with those stiffer E rated tires.  I have been happy with the tires -they are also snow flake.  You will see a whole thread on here about tires and others on suspension recommendations.  Many people on here including me recommend Firestone Air Bags -I have about 250,000 miles on two trucks with them without problem.  I do connect the airbags individually with commercial air hoses which reduces the chance for leaks.  And with an air compressor or pump they make leveling in camp a lot easier.  Any shock upgrade is totally dependent on how far off road and what kind of road for what distance you want to travel and whether you want to change your height.


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#5 MrCrash

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Posted 21 June 2018 - 06:11 AM

Hello WildWalderland,

 

Welcome.

 

So I am the happy owner of a '17 Colorado Z71 Crew diesel. I have a FWC Fleet flatbed model. A bit heavier of a camper for sure, but realistically pretty close assuming you aren't getting a "shell model". Got the setup in Dec/January and have had plenty of time to get it dialed in and to do some significant road trips. 7,000 miles with the camper loaded.

 

I think a lot of how you choose your upgrades depends up your realistic use, budget and expectations for ride quality and durability. The biggest battle with any camper is the body roll caused by the additional weight. The more twisty the roads you drive are the more you'll appreciate the suspension upgrades. Plenty of folks put campers on mostly stock suspension with just airbags and are just fine with the ride on their local highways.

 

I've documented some of the weights and was surprised how quickly it adds up. As many on here have stated. The thing I find really interesting is how the front axle bears basically none of the weight of the camper (on the scale). I've weighed our truck axles with just the empty truck, truck with empty camper and fully loaded with bikes, surfboards and fluids. The front axle doesn't change more than 200 or 300 lbs. While the rear axle will increase 1500 to 1800 lbs depending on the gear loaded in the camper.

 

What we've done.

Tires: 265/70/17 BFG KO2 E-rated.

Front springs: Replaced the coilover shocks with ICON 2.5" lift

Rear springs: Replaced the rear spring pack completely with Oregon Spring 2" lift.

Rear shocks: ICON stage 5 adjustable 

Firestone airbags.

 

Why: 

Tires. I honestly was lazy here an went with the well proven BFG. They are widely available and millions of miles are driven on them every year. I'm not saying they are the best. But certainly I think E-rated tires are a must. 

Front shocks/springs: I wanted the truck leveled and lifted just a bit. Nothing to do with the camper. But upgrading the shocks helps with control on mountain roads.

Rear shocks: I went big here. Being able to adjust the shocks based on the load and the terrain matters to me. Rancho RS9000 have similar features. The ICON suspension is just amazing at controlling body roll on a loaded truck and camper in the mountains or in the wind.

Rear springs: With the weight we added we need an "add-a-leaf" at minimum. Our airbags were at 90 psi which is near the max of 100 psi, without an add-a-leaf. Because we're going to remote off-road areas with this truck we wanted the airbags to compliment the leaf springs not to bear the brunt of the abuse. 

Airbags: They are great, the adjustability is key. Especially for those that are going to take their campers off. If you're going to be loaded full time, the long-term durability of custom leaf springs is an important consideration. Not cheap, though.

 

I'd suggest you do your tire research on Tirerack.com to see what the true size of the tires are and get an idea of what is available. We put our 265/70/17's on before the lift and they fit fine. The additional load capacity made a significant improvement to the ride quality to the point that it was obvious how much safer E's just drove in comparison to stock tires.

 

If you're planning on a fully built up Fleet for use on occasional backcountry and mountain roads I would suggest: E-rated tires, airbags and an additional leaf spring at minimum.

 

 

 


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#6 buckland

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Posted 21 June 2018 - 12:07 PM

Welcome fellow Colly camper. I too have a 2016 duramax with a 2011 Eagle. A great match IMO. I started with an add a leaf and after a few thousand miles decided to get a leaf pack (Boise Spring Works makes them for this specific truck camper combo...they work with the Jackson Hole FWC) . It raised the back an inch and a half so I also replaced my shocks with the Bilstein 5100 RHA ... these are adjustable in ride height and so I did a 2" lift to level out the ride ...the stance is like a Toyota (my last truck). I did add a sway bar only because i was concerned about sudden fast maneuvers as the camper sits high... probably don't need it. I am considering adding Firestone ride rites air bags (had them on the Taco and they are great...much better than the Air Lifts... I went through three pair in a year!). Tires I have Cooper AT3 LT245 75 17 E rated. ( I also bought a 5th tire and a used rim to replace the ridiculous "spare" tire...useless)

There are a few possible choices that will match fairly close to the original 16" RPM...but you will notice a 2-3 mph difference on the speedo. 

 

I love this truck...solid, lots of power and gas mileage is wonderful. I intend on having this truck a long time with the diesel. 


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#7 btbaker22

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Posted 26 June 2018 - 05:10 AM

We haven’t found much for the new Colorado’s or Chevy Canyons. However two of our GZL camper customers put a set of Timbrens on, and said the ride drastically improved.
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#8 Jeromelo

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Posted 26 June 2018 - 10:30 PM

I have a 2017 Z71 Diesel with a ATC Bobcat shell, propane heater comes in at a little under 800 lbs.  Loaded up with passengers and gear I figure about 1400lbs...just short of the max load.  I have kept the truck stock and have put about 8 thousand miles with this set-up.  For me this works.  When the tires wear I'll be replacing with E rated tires.  If I was much heavier I'd go with E rated from the get go with suspension upgrades. 


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#9 WildWanderland

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Posted 27 June 2018 - 05:27 AM

Ah. Thanks everyone for all the responses! I actually should have mentioned, I am only getting the shell but having said that, I have a lot of fun stuff to bring with me so it probably will weight the same as a "regular" fleet so maybe that doesn't matter. Anyways. Lots of good info and parts for me to check into! Super appreciate it!


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#10 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 27 June 2018 - 03:54 PM

Ah. Thanks everyone for all the responses! I actually should have mentioned, I am only getting the shell but having said that, I have a lot of fun stuff to bring with me so it probably will weight the same as a "regular" fleet so maybe that doesn't matter. Anyways. Lots of good info and parts for me to check into! Super appreciate it!


If you’re concerned about weight, check with ATC and the Bobcat. My gut tells me they are lighter than a Fleet, plus ATC does custom work if that is something you need. I believe some have been made smaller, bigger doors are an option, and the North South bed is great for taller people.
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